GAMEDAY #37: vs. Cape Breton

GAMEDAY

HALIFAX MOOSEHEADS VS CAPE BRETON SCREAMING EAGLES
Puck drops at 2pm
TV: Eastlink | Radio: News 95.7 | Live: @MC_MooseCountry
Scotiabank Centre (10,595) ~ Halifax, NS

Battle of Nova Scotia. The games between these two provincial rivals are always entertaining and the home and home series on New Year's Eve weekend have a special place in each of the players hearts. Beginning with last season, the year end matches received a boost of significance as the teams now play for the Hurley Cup. Halifax will be looking to get the trophy to Moose Country after Cape Breton won both games in 2016 to claim the first Hurley Cup. This also happens to be the last home game of 2017 for your Mooseheads so come out and support the boys as they sport blue jerseys to raise money for a good cause. The Herd will try to stay on top of the division so there's a little extra pressure on this afternoon's home team as they take on the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles at 2pm. Cape Breton is looking to right the ship a little bit as they are 4-5-1 in their last 10 games and are now 5th in the Maritimes division. Both teams will be without their leading scorer this weekend as Filip Zadina (Halifax) and Drake Batherson (Cape Breton) are trying to help their respective countries in the World Juniors.

This is the seventh game this season between these two teams. Halifax is 5-1-0-0 against the Screaming Eagles while Cape Breton has a 1-4-0-1 record versus the Mooseheads. The last matchup was just before the Christmas break on December 16 as Xavier Parent led the home Herd team to a 4-2 win with a goal and an assist while Alexis Gravel made 27 saves.

OVERALL RECORDS
Eagles: 16-16-2-1 = 35 points (5th in Maritimes division, 13th overall)
Mooseheads: 21-10-4-1 = 47 points (1st in Maritimes division, 3rd overall)

LEADING SCORERS
HFX: Filip Zadina 46pts (24G & 22A), Maxime Fortier 41pts (18G & 23A), Otto Somppi 36pts (11G & 25A)
CAP: Drake Batherson 39pts (17G & 22A), Phelix Martineau 34pts (18G & 16A), Egor Sokolov 28pts (13G & 15A)

PREVIOUS GAMES
Cape Breton is coming off a tight 2-1 overtime win on Thursday night in Saint John. Phelix Martineau had both goals for the Screaming Eagles while Kevin Mandolese stopped 20 of the Sea Dogs' 21 shots to get the victory.

Halifax is coming off a unfortunate 2-0 loss on Thursday at home where the Mooseheads outshot the Charlottetown Islanders 36-23. Blade Mann-Dixon faced his former team once again and made 21 saves.

HEAD-TO-HEAD
October 13  Halifax 3 at Cape Breton 4
October 14  Cape Breton 5 at Halifax 9
October 28  Halifax 4 at Cape Breton 3
November 18  Cape Breton 5 at Halifax 6 SO
December 13  Halifax 5 at Cape Breton 2
December 16  Cape Breton 2 at Halifax 4
December 30  Cape Breton at Halifax - 2pm
December 31  Halifax at Cape Breton - 2pm
January 19  Cape Breton at Halifax - 7pm

OUT OF TOWN
Voltigeurs vs. Sagueneens     4:00pm
Remparts vs. Drakkar     4:00pm

AFTER THE BUZZER
Halifax will travel to Cape Breton tomorrow to take on the Eagles again for their Battle of NS event. Puck drops at 2pm.